In honor of the country's 250th birthday, we'll be sharing the state birds of some of the thirteen original colonies in our Audubon case throughout the year. Of course, we're starting off with Massachusetts state bird, the Black-capped chickadee. At first pass, we couldn't find this bird in
Birds of America, but that is because it is labeled as "Black-capt Titmouse." The titmouse and chickadee are part of the Paridae family, and older language referred to both as titmouse, which explains why there are no chickadees found in
Birds of America. Plate 353 shows the Black-capt Titmouse (bottom center, detail below) along with the Chestnut-backed Titmouse and the Chestnut-crowned Titmouse. They are shown with an impressive nest in the branches of the willow oak tree.
The Massachusetts Legislature designated the Black-capped chickadee as the state bird on March 21, 1941 (1941 Mass. Acts Ch. 121). These are hearty non-migratory birds, which means that they can withstand Massachusetts' harsh winters and can be spotted throughout the year (and in all corners of the Commonwealth).
Read more about them on the
Mass Audubon website, and visit us from January 13 through February 10 to spot one in the library!
Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian
